Improvement in washing-machines



J. H. CALVERT. WASHING-MACHINES.

e'nzed- A11 INVENTUB:

TURNER I I NJFETVERS, PHOTO-LITHQBEAFHER, WASHINGTON, D C. I

PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES H. CALVERT, OF rnmonron, KENTUCKY.

IM PROV EMENT lN WASHING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 194,676, dated August 28, 1877; application filed May 5, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES HOLLAND CAL- VERT, of Princeton, in the county of Caldwell and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and useful ImprovementinWashing-Machines, of which the following is a specification Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of my improved machine, taken through the line mm, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a top view of the same, the washing-roller and the top case being removed. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the under side of the washing-roller and its frame.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The object of this invention is to furnish an improved washing-machine which shall be simple in construction, convenient in use, and effective in operation, washing the clothes quickly, thoroughly, and without injuring them.

The invention consists in the combination of the cross-bars, the pivoted bent levers, the connecting-rods, andthe springs with the sudsbox and the platform attached to said sudsbox, to form a yielding bed for the clothes while being operated upon.

A represents the sides and ends of the sudsbox, and B represents its sheet-metal bottom. The suds-box A B is supported upon legs 0 of such a length as to raise the machine to a convenient height and afford space beneath said suds'box for the furnace D. The furnace D is provided withafire-grate, d andasmokepipe, (1 and is placed close to the bottom B of the suds-box A B, so that the said bottom may serve as a top to the said furnace. By this construction the water in the suds-box A B will receive the full benefit of the fire.

E is a platform, which rests upon and is so cured to the cleats F attached to the rear part of the sides A of the suds-box. The middlepart of the platform E is cut away to allow the rounded upper edges of the middle parts of the cross-bars G to project through. The ends of the cross-bars G are attached to the forward ends of the lovers H, that pass back along the sides of the suds-box A B. This arrangement requires the forward bars G and the outer levers H to be the longer, as shown in Fig. 2.

The parallel levers H are pivoted to a rod,

I, attached to the sides of the suds-box A B, and to a cross-bar, J, also attached to said sides. The rear parts of the levers H are bent twice at right angles, so as to pass up between the rear edge of the platform E and the end of the suds-box A B, and project over the top edge of the said end. To the projecting ends of the levers H are pivoted the upper ends of the connecting-rods K,the lowerends of which are pivoted to the projecting ends of the parallel springs L. The springsL are placed beneath the bottom of the suds-box A B, and

their inner ends are attached to the crossbar M, the ends of which are attached to the lower edges of the sides of the suds-box A B.

The connecting-rods K andvthe ends of the springs L and levers H are inclosed by a casing, N.

To the rear part of the platform E is hinged the edge of a plate, 0, which is bent upward and then rearward, and its edges are bent upward, and rest against the inner surface of the casing N. The plate 0 thus covers and protects the rear parts of the levers H, and serves also as a shelf to receive such articles as may be placed upon it.

To the forward parts of the casing N are pivoted the rear ends of the side bars of the frame P, to which side bars are attached the bearings for the journals of the shaft Q. To the shaft Q are attached two disks, R, to which, near their outer edges, and at suitable distances apart, are attached a number of rods, S. Upon each of the rods S are placed three (more or less) corrugated rollers, T.

The upper and rear parts of the washingcylinder Q R S T are covered with a casin g, U. The cylinder Q R S Tis placed directly above the openingin the platform E, so as to operate upon the clothes laid upon the projecting parts of the bars G, and is pressed down upon said clothes with any desired force by the operator taking hold of the forward part of the frame P, or of a handle, V, attached to said frame.

By this construction the clothes, while being operated upon, will be supported by a yielding bed, which will adjust itself to the varying thickness of the clothes being operated upon, so that the clothes may be operated upon evenly by the washing-cylinder,

and the springs L with the suds-box A B and the platform E, attached to said suds-box, to form a yielding bed for the clothes While bein g operated upon, substantially as herein shown and described.

JAMES HOLLAND CALVERT.

Witnesses: A. 0. Albums, W. H. CALVERT. 

